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Meal Plan 12.1.11 December 1, 2011

Currently, YoYo.com is offering up $10 off ANY $10 Toy purchase when you enter the promo code YOYODEC during checkout! That means you should be able to snag a FREE toy or two… you’ll just need to pay shipping costs, which are a flat-rate of $4.99 for orders under $49. Great idea to stcok away for birthday gifts

Amazon is once again offering up some wonderful music freebies! Every day, through December 25th, you can go here to download a FREE Christmas song! Today’s song is “Ave Maria” by Celtic Woman from their forthcoming album Believe.

I need to order checks so *Head on over here and add 2 boxes of Single Checks to your cart, add your banking/personal information, and proceed to checkout. You can select one of the basic designs that are available.

*Add the coupon code DB2756 (for new customers only) at checkout and you’ll see your final cost for 2 boxes of Single checks drop to only $4.05! Or, if you prefer, you can order 2 boxes of Duplicate checks for only $5.05!

The Target *HOT* “Friends & Family Promotion” coupon appears to have reset! So, justhead on over hereto once again print a Target store coupon good for a FREE $10 Target gift card when you spend $50 or more in-store. This is a very rare coupon, so print while you can!

ArtsCow is once again offering up a sweet deal on Coin Purses and Cosmetic Bags! Through December 7th, you can snag 3 photo Coin Purses for ONLY $6.49 shipped or you can snag 3 photo Cosmetic Bags for just $9.49 shipped! Plus, any additional Coin Purse is only $1.99 and any additional Cosmetic Bag is just $2.99 each! Just head on over here to start creating your Coin Purse or go here to start creating your Cosmetic Bag. Then be sure to enter the promo code 3MCP699RE (for Coin Purses) or 3CBGS999RE (for Cosmetic Bags) during checkout.

Please note you can choose any size cosmetic bag and they can be individually designed. There is also NO quantity limit, so make sure to set the quantity to the total number of bags you would like to purchase (example– if you want to order 6 bags, set the quantity to 6).

If you are looking for a great deal on magazine subscriptions, you may want to head on over to Amazon. Through December 3rd, you can score the 16 1-year magazine subscriptions listed herefor just $5 each! My favorite offer is the 1 year subscription to Woman’s Day magazine for just $5 (regularly $47.43!).

What a feast for Thanksgiving! We went to my gracious friend Amie’s and she put on a spread! I just brought over some desserts.

I am already starting to think about Christmas…..my parents are coming and I like to try big fancy things sometimes like beef wellington. We do appetizers for Christmas eve so I will list out the favorites and some new ones I am planning this year in a few weeks. Plus I htink I will do a holiday cookie post too!

Last night we studied and cooked fish and seafood. We fileted a whole salmon, shucked oysters and clams, dressed and fileted our own tilapia. My recipe last night was salmon cakes with remoulade sauce.

The stores are running many of the same products on sale this week. If you are not going to price match then my recommendation is to hit sprouts for produce and meat or Kroger has some good sales.

SPROUTS:

Blackberries $.69

Roma Tomatoes $.69 /lb

Squash $.77/lb

Apples $.99 /lb

100% Organic grass fed beef $3.99/lb

Fresh Salmon filets $4.99/lb

Sausage $2.99/lb

ALBERTSONS

Progresson soup $.99

DeCesso Pasta $.99

Charmin Basic TP or Paper Towels $5.99

Tide 32 oz $5.99

Swanson broth 32 oz or stock 2 for $4

ALDI

Grapes $.89/lb

MEATLESS MONDAY: Minestrone with cornbread parmesan biscotti

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can white (cannellini or navy) beans, drained

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

2 bay leaves

Salt and ground black pepper

2 cups cooked ditalini pasta

1 medium zucchini, chopped

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen spinach, defrosted

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Basil sprigs, garnish, optional

(option to add cooked sliced sausage or ground beef)

In a slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add ditalini, zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top. Garnish with basil, if desired.

Biscotti

2 (6-oz.) packages buttermilk cornbread-and-muffin mix

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

3 large eggs, divided

1/4 cup buttermilk

Parchment paper

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine cornbread mix, 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and next 2 ingredients in a food processor bowl. Add butter, and pulse 5 to 6 times or until crumbly.

2. Whisk together 2 eggs and buttermilk. With processor running, gradually add egg mixture through food chute, and process just until well moistened. (Batter will be thick.)

4. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until pale golden brown and firm. Let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°.

5. Gently slide loaf (on parchment paper) onto a cutting board, and cut loaf diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices using a serrated knife. Place slices, cut sides down, on a baking sheet lined with a new sheet of parchment paper.

6. Bake at 300° for 15 to 20 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp. Let cool on baking sheet on wire rack 15 minutes. Serve warm. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 weeks.

Add salmon and mix with hands, breaking up salmon into small pieces. Form into 8 patties; each about 1/2 inch thick.

Place remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs on a plate and dip both sides of the salmon cakes into crumbs.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Fry salmon cakes over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Turn, adding more butter if necessary, and fry about 3 minutes on other side.

Serve with a salad and remoulade sauce.

Remoulade:

3/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup onion diced fine

1/4 cup celery diced fine

2 Tbs capers diced fine

1/2 cup gerkins (pickles) diced fine

3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard or dijon

3 tablespoons chopped parsley leves

2 teasponns anchovie paste

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process for 30 seconds. Use immediately or store. Will keep for several days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

WEDNESDAY: Pork Ragu

1 28-oz can whole tomatoes, drained

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-in. pieces

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tsp dried oregano

Kosher salt and pepper

2 1/2 lb pork shoulder, trimmed and quartered

12 oz pappardelle or other wide noodle

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 oz)

In a 5- to 6-qt slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, garlic, carrots, onion, wine, oregano, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.

Add the pork to the slow cooker and cook, covered, until the pork is cooked through and easily pulls apart, 6 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.

Twenty minutes before serving, cook the pasta according to package directions. Using a fork, break the meat into smaller pieces, then stir it into its cooking liquid; fold in the parsley. Serve the pork over the pasta and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.